Cooperative Superintendency Program

Three graduate students sit at a table in front of a wall full of large notes about leadership.

Photo of Ruben Olivarez

Photo of Sylvia Reyna

Assistant Director
Sylvia R. Reyna

The Cooperative Superintendency Program (CSP) offers a doctoral degree (Ed.D.) within the Educational Leadership and Policy Department of the highly ranked College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. The CSP is at the forefront of preparing education leaders to meet the ever-changing needs of today’s public education system. Our dedicated faculty and intensive coursework maintain our position among the top-rated superintendency preparation programs in the nation.

Our program seeks to attract leaders with outstanding professional readiness and prepare them for executive-level positions, including:

Superintendents of school districts
Chief executives in state education agencies
Directors in education service centers or laboratories
Executive-level management posts in large cities or suburban districts

Program Features

Practitioner-focused curriculum
Real world, real-time application
Cohort-model, student collaboration, shared learning
Completion in 30 months (63 hours of coursework, 69 with dissertation hours)
Face-to-face contact with renowned faculty focused on equity and excellence
Flexible scheduling for current and aspiring public school executives
Strong regional, state, national, and international alumni network

Key Competencies

Leadership for Equity and Excellence
Strategic Thinking and Planning
Policy and Governance
Human Relations
Law and School Finance
District-Level Operations

This program starts in the Summer semester only. You must select the “Summer” semester in the ApplyTexas application. If you apply to the wrong semester or incorrect program track in the Educational Leadership & Policy department in the ApplyTexas application, you could be subject to additional application fees. Students will need to take the Texas Examinations of Educators Standards (TExES) Superintendent exam in order to become certified in Texas. Our graduates’ passing rates typically exceed 97%. Learn more about certification requirements on the Texas Education Agency's website.

Program Overview and Details Program Application Requirements How to Apply Financial Support FAQs Financial Support Request More Information

Faculty

Amanda Brownson

Assistant Professor of Practice

Experienced school finance administrator who focuses on ways state aid systems and school district budget practices can be improved to best leverage resources toward improving services for students.

Rebecca Callahan

Associate Professor, EPP Master's Program Coordinator

Research interests include immigrant bilinguals’ transition from adolescence to young adulthood, as well as their associated educational processes.

Norma Cantú, J.D.

Ken McIntyre Professor for Excellence in School Leadership

With a background as assistant secretary of education for Civil Rights in the Clinton Administration, she teaches topics in civil rights and the intersection of law and policy in education.

Joshua Childs

Assistant Professor

Examines collaborative approaches involving community organizations and stakeholders that improve academic achievement and reduce opportunity gaps for students.

Kelly Crook

Associate Professor of Practice

Experienced superintendent who focuses on how social, cultural, and political contexts in education impact school district administrators and their ability to serve all students.

Paul Cruz

Professor of Practice

Experienced public school executive with a background in special education.

David E. DeMatthews

Associate Professor

Focuses on urban school and district leadership, inclusive practices for students with disabilities, and school improvement with an emphasis on addressing inequities in classrooms, schools, and communities.

Terrance Green

Associate Professor

Examines principals and school-community engagement/community development, and issues of educational equity and opportunity.

Jennifer Jellison Holme

Associate Professor, Graduate Advisor

Focuses on the politics and implementation of educational policy with an emphasis on school reform, equity and diversity in schools.

Huriya Jabbar

Associate Professor, EPP Doctoral Program Coordinator

Examines the social and political dimensions of market-based reforms and privatization in education, including school choice and decision-making in K-12 and higher education contexts.

Rubén D. Olivárez

L. D. Haskew Centennial Professor in Public School Administration

Advocates for social justice and equal educational opportunities for all students, and stresses the importance of teachers in education and principals as a key to school effectiveness.

Pedro Reyes

Ashbel Smith Professor of Education Policy

Focuses on school conditions that foster high academic success for children of poverty, stratification of learning opportunities for children of color, and on state policy that facilitates student success across the education pipeline.

Sylvia R. Reyna